They really do not prepare you for these things.
You grow up under the illusion that your greatest decision in life will be whether or not you make it to university based on your grades. You somehow imagine that from then on, everything else will somewhat work itself out. Your job. Your career. Your life. It’s a straight path, right? As long as you set steady precedence in school, everything should work out just fine, right? Wrong! Before you misquote me, I believe in the power of education and good grades. I simply do not think that it’s the only relevant detail in life.
They do not prepare you for the uncertainties, the stumbles, the falls, financial literacy, growth, your transition into adult responsibilities, among many other things.
I started reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” the other day, and i have not been more woke in a very long time. The things that the writer highlights set my brain working on overdrive thinking about “decisions”. A simple word, but one that makes all the difference. One wrong move, and its a detour!
Literacy. The thing about life is, we are all educated, but very few are literate, open minded and critical thinkers. In the book, the writer highlights and focuses more on financial literacy. This is something that i feel very strongly about, and have thought about over the last couple of months. What is literacy? If things were as easy as they are made to seem, then how come a lot of us still do not know what we are doing?
See, the thing about the school of life is that learning never stops. How many times have you made a decision that you were very confident about, only to realise after some time that you were sorely mistaken? I know i have. Quite recently actually. But the thing is, some of these detours are meant to shape you, to open up your mind and way of thinking, to show you and redirect you to what you are meant to be. And, unless you learn the intended lesson, you will be stuck on the same spot.
Now, i know that quite a lot of people my age or in adjacent age brackets struggle with this a lot. You find yourself torn between options. Second guessing your own thoughts and choices. Reconsidering your career path. Your choice of partners. Asking yourself if you are really doing the right thing. Is something meant for you. Are you making a mistake. All of these are things that will hold you for a while. Stop you from moving forward. But you need to understand one thing: that no one is ever one hundred percent sure. Nobody has such assurance. And that’s just the school of life.
You must learn to allow yourself to grow. Learn that it is okay to stumble sometimes, as long as you stand back up. Learn not to be controlled by dogmatic thoughts and mass or blanket ideals. Learn not to conform. If you feel that you can fly, by all means fly. Fall if you must. Come back again stronger and wiser. You need to learn that growth is permanent and progressive. It simply never stops. And with growth comes lessons. Some smooth, some quite rough.
I have been known to do the exact opposite of expectations. And i think that that’s what sets you apart. Forging your own path. Grow as you go. Learn. Keep soaring high.